The Earth's got moves you've never seen

The U.S. Geological Survey agency has been compiling responses to the 1:41 p.m., 5.0 Richter-scale quake in some country to the north. It occurred 12 miles beneath the Earth's surface and lasted about 30 seconds, the USGS said.

Here are the responses, broken into towns, intensity, number of responses and distance from the episode, in kilometers, because you should've learned the metric system in the 1970s like Jimmy Carter wanted.

In Kingston, it felt like a 2, from 25 responses. In Catskill and Ellenville, the report says it felt like a 3. In my desk, it felt like a zero because I'm originally from Peru and anything below 6 there causes less panic than rain.

Return your blue balls

Blogs and animals

* Ulster County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach talks about the "BUG PURPLE campaign," as highlighted by this bad Photoshop job.

* At The Farmer's Market gives you a recipe for delicious dead shrimp.

* These animals don't want you to smoke. I'm not criticizing the merits or faults of the new $1.60 tax on (cigarette) butts, but the inability of state lawmakers (also known as "butts") to pass a budget in time.

“Tweet” may be acceptable occasionally for special effect. But let’s look for deft, English alternatives: use Twitter, post to or on Twitter, write on Twitter, a Twitter message, a Twitter update. Or, once you’ve established that Twitter is the medium, simply use “say” or “write.”

"Psycho" turns 50, you psycho!

You might have noticed that the second creepy Kingston video, below, has the Bernard Herrmann score from "Psycho." The Alfred Hitchcock classic had its New York premiere 50 years ago, which means that you're getting very old.

Pulse of the Valley - YOUR EDITION

Attention Tweetards, I mean, Tweeter people whom I like very much:

You might have noticed that I periodically highlight Twitter updates from around the Hudson Valley. But you might have also noticed that I maybe haven't highlighted a particular Tweet that you might have liked.

Well, here's a crazy idea.: Do you know or have a Tweet you like to highlight from around the area? Let me know.

Pump up the Jam

If you are one of the unlucky people who didn't get to go to WDST-FM's Mountain Jam, because you make as much money as a journalist or something, fear not. You can still enjoy the experience in a virtual way.

You can follow what everyone is saying about it - live on Twitter and you can watch the live webcast - or you can ignore the whole thing because you don't like hippies.

The money raised will go to the Queens Galley soup kitchen in Kingston. Land and Sea and The Amendment will perform. Those who don't purchase tickets will have access to the same things, but will be stared at with disdain. Or not.

Check out our new video page!

Simone Felice rushed to hospital

Simone Felice - front man of The Duke & The King and once the charismatic drummer for the The Felice Brothers - was rushed to Albany Medical Center late Tuesday for open-heart surgery, his site announced Wednesday afternoon.

The Palenville native was scheduled to play Mountain Jam in Hunter on Saturday and was about to embark in an Australian tour. All dates for June and July have been canceled, the site announced.

We are going to use free, open-source tools and social media - like the Twitters or whatever it's called - to empower, involve and engage you more than ever before.

Do you have a story idea? Tell us about it. Do you think the Life Editor needs a haircut? Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

The goal of the Ben Franklin Project is to enable readers to participate in how our print and online editions come together. So starting now, we want you to let us know how to better serve you, with great ideas like, "Don't let the Life Editor announce the Ben Franklin Project!"

Here are but some of the ideas we're working on:

* We are going to publish a calendar of events using only your Facebook invitations. So "Like" the Daily Freeman and Preview (and me!) and invite us!

* We are going to find out the best camping spots in the mid-Hudson Valley. How? You're going to tell us. And once we have enough candidates, you'll vote on your favorites. I will then send our reporters with a broken flashlight, wearing high heels and wrapped with meat - at midnight - to check out the sites (we're still working on the reporting details, so that might change).

* We also want you to share with us your camping pictures via Flickr. And you'll get to vote on them.

* I'm personally compiling your craziest camping stories for an upcoming - and extra -column to be published on July 4, the day we're declaring our independence from the old newsroom models of thinking and publishing (I'm told there's another independence something that day, but who knows?).

* We're going to do some live chats with our featured bloggers, and want you to be part of it by bringing your questions and comments, live.

* And yes, why not? I might even cut my hair. I'll put it up for vote. And you'll decide. I then I'll blame a hanging chad or something.